About Me

Jim Killebrew has 40 years of clinical psychological work for people with intellectual disabilities, and experience teaching, administration, consulting, writing with multiple publications. Dr. Killebrew has attended four Universities and received advanced degrees. Southern Illinois University; Ph.D., Educational Psychology; University of Illinois at Springfield, Counseling Education; M.A., Human Development Counseling; Northeastern Oklahoma State University, B.A., Psychology and Sociology. Dr. Killebrew attended Lincoln Christian Seminary (Now Lincoln Christian University). Writing contributions have been accepted and published in several journals: Hospital & Community Psychiatry, The Lookout, and Christian Standard (multiple articles). He may be reached at Killebrewjb@aol.com.

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Friday, May 21, 2010

Changing times

On June 6, 2007 there was a short segment on the "Today" show that described a social engineering practice the Nazi elite instituted in the Netherlands during 1942. Because Hitler believed in a "super" race the Nazi hierarchy sanctioned and encouraged a practice of the German soldiers mating with the blue-eyed, blond-haired, fair-skinned ladies of the Netherlands. The German government took over the babies, more than twelve hundred in all, and planned to raise them as part of the "super race" with "pure" German blood. As with any evil intent, this plan turned ugly in the end. Of course the war was lost and the Germans left, but in their wake were all these children who had been abandoned by their mothers, and left in institutions or even worse living conditions. They, as a group, and individually, were shunned by the rest of society and taught not to mention their plight or special status. The "Today" story highlighted one man who was the product of that Nazi practice and had been one of those children who was now speaking out as an older adult and telling the story that had been suppressed for so long. This kind of Godless endeavor does nothing but put people at risk.

In the 21st Century America that we now live, one wonders how such atrocities could happen. And yet we have seen many examples throughout the short past 100 years:

The world aflame during the "Great War" that was to be the war that ended all wars.

The Second World War and all the death and despair it brought…along with the advent of a nuclear age.

Korea, that still stands ready to move away from the simple "cease fire" agreement that exists today.

And then from Vietnam to the current holy Jihad that seeks to destroy those who can be defined as "infidel."

Perhaps we have already seen some changes toward a repeat of history. It has been seen in part because of a growing practice of what Martin Luther King Jr. described in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail as a group of "good" people who fail to rise up with their voices in unison against the rabble.

Of course Dr. King was referring to those religious leaders and congregates who believed in the right thing, but failed as a group to see the social injustice and the tyranny against an entire ethnic group through nullification and interposition. By not speaking out against that injustice, they in fact tolerated and supported it. That was not unlike the "good" people in Germany during the Hitler era that looked the other way when millions of families were being destroyed by those whose agenda was "social change." In the end it brought nothing but world war.

"IF MY PEOPLE, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (KJV)

This likely means in context that God is telling Solomon that the land will be healed by the devastation of the locusts that devour the land; but the eternal truth is that God has promised to care for those who call upon His name, turn from their sin and follow Him.

Now, as then, in fact, we often find ourselves actually catering to those who are screaming the loudest. We have allowed ourselves to become submissive to those who have the loudest bullhorn. We see injustice and illogical actions; we see the politicians finding every conceivable tax to levy and then "redistribute" those funds as they will. Oftentimes reading in the newspapers and watching on television those elected "public servants" who leave their elected office after years of government salary as personal millionaires. We lower our heads and mutter silently, "How did that happen?" And yet, in our heart of hearts we know the answer. We just don't want to get involved. We don't want the spotlight to shine in our direction because we don't want to be bullied and ridiculed for being "disingenuous" or failing to be "politically correct." Yes, we cater to the few because they are the most vocal.

Let's face it, the ultra liberal position has captured many in the media and the extreme left. Their message is pounding away at the American people trying to change their hearts and minds regarding issues like separation of church and state, abortion, marginalizing the military or catering to all kinds of special interest groups. One definition of liberalism that seems appropriate is: "Liberalism is the belief of a concentration of power in the hands of a few who then use the power and institution of the government to extinguish individualization and independent thought."

Karl Marx, who is known as the Father of Socialism and Communism held that belief in God was the opium of the people. He did everything he could to eliminate that belief. The more government takes over and controls the lives of individuals, the more the masses become like the "collective."

A while ago the California Legislature discussed introducing a law that would criminalize parents for any "corporal" punishment for any child under the age of three. A pat on the bottom or a slap on the hand for a child in the "terrible twos" could, under that law, have the child taken away and raised by the state, and have the parent sent to prison. Remember, these things come only gradually.

As government grows and the liberal perspective becomes more and more dominant, one significant change will likely be the elimination of God in our Society. Multiculturalism, instead of assimilation, that is being taught in America's public education is at the very least equalizing the country's own national heritage with other national groups who refuse even to learn the language. It is teaching a "sensitivity" that precludes "offending" anyone whose beliefs differ from the foundational Christian ethics of the Bible.

On January 31, 2007 in Indiana on a station in Fort Wayne, the news reported that one Legislator "broke the silence of over a year" imposed by the courts to not have any prayer in the Indiana Legislature. The news story related that the Legislator prayed only to "God" but could not mention the name of Jesus as the court injunction demanded. Mentioning the name of Jesus offended those who do not want to hear that name.

As one generation rises and another passes into history the values of the former overshadow the latter. It is very difficult to see any differences between yesterday and today, or last week and this week. But the differences begin to be noticed as one examines last decade with present times, or last century with now. So it is with generations, one comes with the values formed from experiences and knowledge, while the current generation passes away. Someone has said that we are only one generation away from extinction. Perhaps that is true when you examine the differences in the values from one group to another.

An oft quoted Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, is said to have described the way of all past civilizations:

"Politics and Progress-From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependency; From dependency back again into bondage."

Looking at the American civilization from Tyler's perspective, it might be argued that America is on course for such a cataclysmic change as to be swept up into bondage once again:

Seventeenth century America: Europeans of faith migrate to American Colonies for religious freedom to escape the bondage.

Eighteenth century America: American colonists living in relative freedom under British rule during the first half of the century. Latter half of century the colonists fight revolution and declaration of independence through great spiritual faith with great courage.

Nineteenth century America: Expanded freedom through expanded territory; bloody civil war with abolishment of slavery; reconstruction and great movement toward liberty for all.

Twentieth century America (first half): Freedom, industrialization, modernization, world liberation through two world wars; establishment of foundation for dependency (New Deal).

Twentieth century America (second half): Atoms for peace, New Frontier, War on Poverty, Guns and Butter. Movement from liberty to great abundance and dependence on socialized government. Scientists expanded Technology with computer advancement and application while social theorists expanded a movement toward socialism. Introduction of legal practices to eliminate segments of society: abortion and "death with dignity."

Twenty-first century America: With great abundance and the greatest economy ever, selfishness through public policies such as abortion, greater influence of larger government, higher taxes and much more leisure time, accompanied by a movement to a world-wide market.

Since it is generally agreed that change is inevitable, the mode of change is what may be the most important.

Using Tyler's cultural taxonomy, the way of our civilization at the current time seems to be somewhere between dependency with apathy and complacency…perhaps moving toward bondage. It would be great to think that before bondage becomes a reality we could consider a move directly back to spiritual faith through the Gift has provided and live in that faith in God and His leadership for Christian living.